My Unforgettable Adventure in Italy
by iwha
Summary: "Gwen is going on a pre-honeymoon with her fiancée, Lancelot, on Juliet's home-town, Verona. While sight-seeing there, she discovers a 50-year old letter." This is heavily based on the movie, Letters to Juliet. L/G at first A/G later.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, I'm just a fan wanting to write stories my favorite show.

**A/N:** This story is heavily based on the movie, Letters to Juliet, hence, most scenarios and lines are borrowed from there. I absolutely adore the movie, addicted more like it. I've been wanting to post this after I finish **A second chance at love**. I want to try writing some Arwen for a breather. But don't expect to have fast updates, I'm still 50/50 about this. For me to know whether to continue this or not, is entirely in your hands, my dear readers. If I got a positive feedback, then it's a go! If not, I'll permanently delete it here and on my PC.

* * *

"This Gwen Leodegrance from _The New Yorker_; Hi, Mr. Beal. Thank you for calling me back. No-no. I'm not a writer. I'm a fact checker, actually." Gwen continues to walk through the park as she talks to Mr. Beal. She holds a book with black and white picture of a man and a woman kissing in New York square. Good thing nobody has bumped into her yet.

"Is it like, being a detective or somethin'?" Mr. Beal asked her.

"It is like a detective, yes." Gwen told him as she chuckles slightly at the notion. 'Yes, it's like being a detective. Sigh. I want to write, but can I have the chance?' she thought.

"Let's see if you are the Robert Beal I'm looking for." She looks down at the book, or more specifically, the black and white picture. In the picture, a good 2-3 feet away from the kissing couple, there is a sailor who looks on while walking. This sailor's head is encircled and at the top of the page are written "Robert Beal" with an arrow points at the encircled head of the supposed "Robert Beal".

"Can you confirm where you were when you found out that World War 2 was over?" she stops for awhile and waits for the response of Mr. Beal.

"I was at Poughkeepsie."

"Oh, Poughkeepsie? Alright. Right, thank you so much. Bye." She ended the call and sigh. Just then, her stomach grumbled. "Oh, Right. I haven't had lunch yet." She saw a nearby bagel stand although the line is a little bit long. 'No worries, it's fine.' She thought to herself as she waited patiently in line. She then looked at her remaining list of "Robert Beals'", there are only two left, and one is a petty officer. 'Since the line still quite long, might as well call up the other one.' And so she did. She talked to the next "Robert Beal" until it was her turn in the stand.

"Yes, the moment the war ended." She had her phone on her ear as she paid for her bagel.

"Palm Beach? Okay. Lucky guy." She then put the bagel in her left hand and held her phone with her right. "Thank you very much. Bye." She grimaced a bit and then called up her boss, Gwaine.

"Gwaine, hey, I've got nothing, but there's one more Robert Beal, it's a petty officer, third class." Her phone buzzed. She had another incoming call.

"Wait" she looked at her phone and saw that the one who was calling her is the very same Robert Beal she was talking about. "I'm sorry Gwaine, I'll call you back"

"Don't worry about it Esmeralda. Take your time." Gwaine said to her as she exits the park and walked her way to the Square.

"Yeah, thanks." She then answered the incoming call.

"Gwen Leodegrance. Yes, you're….."

0-0-0-0

"So, what do you think?" Gwen asked his boss, and childhood friend, Gwaine about her research. She sat on one of the chairs provided, looking at Gwaine as he looked over her report.

"It's good Esmeralda!" he grinned at her, making her ease a little bit.

"Thanks!" Gwen tucked a stray hair in her ear.

"So…. What's this about some," he shrugged his hands, confusion all over his face. "_Pre-honeymoon in Verona_?"

"Well, Lance's restaurant is about to open soon, and he won't have any free time after that, so we thought we'd get a pre-honeymoon." She smiled casually at his friend, silently praying he'd buy her reasoning. Gwaine looked at her seriously; he didn't buy it at all.

"Gwen, look." He sighed exasperatedly and his hands clasped together. Gwen gave him an uneasy smile; he never calls her Gwen, only Esmeralda. When he calls her by her real name, she knows he's serious. "I know that you're only trying to cover up for him,"

Gwen tried to open her mouth to retort, but Gwaine cut her off.

"Ah-ah-ah!" he waved a finger in front of her. "Gwen you're like a sister to me, and I don't want you to get hurt. Lance is a great guy. I know. I'm the one who got you two together. But now, I'm..." he heaved a deep sigh. "Actually starting to regret ever matching you two up" he puts his hands in the air as his friend gave him a pointed glare. "He rarely has time for you now. Look I'm sorry Gwen, but let's face the facts." He paused for a minute for waiting for her to digest his words. Gwen's glare softens.

"I know. That's why I decided for us to have this pre-honeymoon. I have three main goals for this trip. She counted off her goals one by one with her fingers. "One, to spend more time with him, "Gwaine nodded urging her to continue, she smiled in return. " Two, to help him go to his suppliers," Gwaine scoffed in disbelief. Gwen cleared her throat and promptly ignored her childhood friend's scowled face. "And last but not the least, number three," she paused, looking at him straight in the eye. "I think I'd try to write while I'm there Gwaine." she whispered so soft it's hardly audible. But Gwaine heard her anyway.

Gwaine grinned lazily at his friend. 'Finally! She finally has the guts to write!'

"Ok, ok. Fine." He put both his hands on her shoulders; she looked at him in surprise. "and while you're at it, throw his phone on the bottom of Lake Garda?"

Both of them laughed, "I'm sorry it's not possible, he has to call his suppliers." She grabbed her coat and notebook. Before she got out of the room,

"Thanks Gwaine."

"You're welcome Esmeralda"

* * *

RnR please~


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** How many times do I have to write this? I don't own Merlin. If I did, I'd do this and that and that and this.. xDD

**A/N: **I've posted the 2nd chap.. I'm so sorry larasmith that it's not Arwen ready, I promise you that the next chap will definitely be Arwen ready.. ciao everyone!

* * *

Gwen walked out of his office and along the way bumped into her co-worker, Anastasia 'Anya' Braginsky, a writer. Anya's themes tend to be on the supernatural. Right now, she's working on her fifth book. She's also famous for always rejecting Gwaine's advances for the last two years in the building. And as she can see right now, Gwaine's still persistent, as always.

"Anya!" Gwen called out her friend who's struggling to carry something in the hallway. Anya spun around and saw a familiar face. She lazily grinned at the incoming brunette.

"What are you doing Anya?" Gwen asked her but she already knew the answer to her question.

"To give that no-good editor of ours a piece of my mind," Anya grumbled and scowled before continuing, "and to sue him for sexual harassment!"

Gwen blinked and answered to her as calmly as possible.

"He really likes you, Anya. He genuinely does. What did he do this time, anyway?"

"He sent me these… these….. Things…"

Anya frowned but there was a tinge of red in her cheeks as she showed Gwen the contents of the box she's carrying and Gwen opened the box and was surprise to see its contents. A very skimpy matching two sets of lingerie in both black and red, and a very exclusive Victoria's Secret at that; it made Gwen shook her head in disbelief but she hid a small smile. She'd always known her childhood friend had always liked her Russian friend, still, this is getting a bit too far.

"And that's not all," Anya gave her a piece of paper. "Read it."

Gwen took the paper from her hand and read the contents aloud.

"Hey, sexy!" she raised a brow and looked at Anya, who is by then sporting a slight blush. She continued her reading. "You, me and hotel room 103 at the Harrison Plaza. Call me."

She read it again and again but the contents are the same. She sighed and gave Anya a sympathetic smile.

"It just means he's totally in to you." she told her uneasily. Anya sighed, exasperated at the turn of events but she still insisted on going to Gwaine's office.

"Hn. Alright fine, for once, I'll accept his offer, but just one date," she held a finger in front of Gwen's face for emphasis. Gwen stepped back in surprise. "ONE, Gwen." Anya said to her.

"Really?" Gwen and Gwaine said incredulously.

"Gwaine!" both Anya and Gwen exclaimed as Gwaine popped out from Gwen's back.

"Really Princess? You don't know how you've made me so happy!" Gwaine took out the box from Anya's hands and just dropped them unceremoniously on the floor. He lifted her up by the waist and spun her around, completely ignoring Gwen in the process. She, in turn, laughed at the two silently and had walked down the elevator without the two noticing.

"Put me down Gwaine!"

"No way Jose! I'm not letting you go Princess."

**0-0-0-0-0**

Gwen was walking down the sidewalk all the way to Lance's new restaurant. Her left hand holding a rolled up magazine and a little notebook, while her right rests on her brown messenger boy sling bag. She was hooted by a couple of construction workers of Lance's but she completely ignored it.

She entered the still in-progress restaurant and went straight to the kitchen where she discovered that Lance is experimenting on a lot of pasta, explaining the kitchen room almost full of pasta.

"Oh my God" she exclaimed as she entered the room with a smile.

Lance saw his fiancé enter the kitchen and quickly told her to close her eyes which she complied in good humor.

Lance took a strand of pasta from where he was working, and he walked closer to where his fiancée is standing.

"Ok, ok. Now open your mouth and try this one."

Gwen opened her mouth and he slowly let put the pasta in Gwen's mouth.

"It's good right? I mean, I'm redoing it, and its good right? Modestly speaking, I think I'm creating a masterpiece here."

Gwen opened her eyes and looked around the room, bemused. She just nodded to his enthusiasm. Lance walked over to his work table and took another pasta strand, but not the same one as before.

"Try this one, it's a little dry but – "

"Lance, we're going to Verona in 12 hours and you haven't packed up yet?"

"Oh yeah, yeah, sorry love"

"Do we need to clean this up?"

"No it's fine love,"

Lance quickly threw the towel he was holding and quickly walked over to Gwen.

"Let it be."

Lance scooped Gwen up from the waist, and twirled her around a little. Gwen hugged him close.

"We're going to Verona, Italy! It's going to be incredible!"

"I know!" Gwen giggled, feeling so excited. "I'm excited too!"

0-0-0-0-0

Gwen smiled at the scenic view of the city as she walks by the city streets; she just wished that Lance was with her right now. But unfortunately, as soon as they've gone to their hotel room, one of his suppliers, a 'Signor Morrini' called him up. And so, she's now stuck on her own.

After a few walking around, she walked back at her hotel and saw Lance still talking to his suppliers. Lance turned around and waved at her happily,

"Gwen!"

She shook her head and giggled softly at her fiancé's antics, despite all of Lance's busy-ness, he's still the lovable and sweet guy she'd fallen in love with. Gwen gave him a slight waved.

"Gwen! Wherefore art thou, my sweet Gwen?"

**0-0-0-0-0**

"Arriverderci, Ciao"

Lance hung up his phone as soon as the talk is over. He quickly welcomed back his fiancé and hugged her close.

"I love this place. I love it. This is place is great right?"

"I know, it's amazing" Gwen noticed that her fiancé looks uneasy. She raised a brow. "What is it Lance?"

"W-well..." Lance started; he gave her an uneasy smile. Gwen sighed and urged him to continue, knowing what the smile meant.

**0-0-0-0-0**

"Si… Si… Si… Grazie Signor Morrini... Grazie…. Ciao."

Gwen looked at her fiancé blankly; arms crossed while waiting near the car. Lance walked over his fiancé and kissed her in the cheek.

"I just talked at Signor Morrini at the phone and he invited us to this incredible forest that's just, like, 120 kilometers from here and they dig up these exquisite truffles…"

Gwen cut him off. "A 120 kilometers...?"

"Well… it's not like miles Gwen."Lance argued.

"No I understand the difference, it's just… I don't understand why you'd drive 120 kilometers to see a mushroom."Gwen told him bluntly.

"Uh...G-Gwen... It's not a mushroom it's a truffle… it's a tartufo, you know, the one that you put on top of the pasta?" Lance stammered trying to control his annoyance at what his Gwen called the tartufo. 'I love Gwen, I love her very much.' was the mantra he kept on saying in his head.

"A tartufo?"

"Come on, you've been having a good day right?"

"It-it was fine, but now I don't feel like seeing a big mushroom in a forest."

"Okay, okay. I understand. Just don't call it a mushroom okay?"

"Okay."

The couple walked over the car and drove off. While driving, Gwen got an idea.

"You know what? Why don't you see the truffle place and I'll go sight-see by myself?"

Lance looked over to his fiancé in surprise and apprehension, he's glad he can go to the truffles but at the same time he's worried to leave Gwen alone. He just can't shake the feeling of being extremely worried, and he told her so. She gave him a look and as whipped guy that he is, he gave in. Gwen smiled and gave him the smile he fell in love with in the first place. He smiled at her too and quickly kissed her in the mouth.

* * *

**A/N:** I am so evil for leaving a cliff-hanger! It's been a while, hi! I think there should be moments with Lance and Gwen first. I'm so sorry if I somehow portrayed Lance here as a douche, I'm so sorry Lancelot fans! *ducks for cover* Is the coast clear? whew! Like I've said before, I'll update as fast as I can. I had just gotten over depression about my previous job. The people in my working place are good people, but the higher-ups and the policies are not. So I quit and got depressed by it so yeah.. I feel like I owe it to you guys to explain my absence, so I'm saying it all to you now. I'm so sorry guys for leaving you all hanging.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Do I have to say it every time? I don't own Merlin, I'm just borrowing the characters.

**A/N:** I really, _really_ promise there would be an Arwen in the next chap. This was supposed to be posted last year but Christmas came. Morgana's finally having an apperance but Merlin's just mentioned... *bangs head on the wall*

* * *

Gwen sighed in slight irritation but there's nothing to be done. She wished she hadn't said those words, but what can she do? What would a person do if he or she were in her position? Of course to tell off their lover and tell that they should just go their separate ways, for the time being though. She aimlessly walked the streets of Verona but not wandering too far from their hotel. She's been walking for a good two hours now. She sighed again in irritation. Why _did_ she suggest they go on separate sight-seeing (or in Lance's case, meeting with his suppliers, AKA work.) again? Oh yeah… Lance is getting a bit of a handful.

She shook her head slightly, trying to push all of her negative thoughts about her fiancé out of her mind. She loves her fiancé, her Lancelot, she really do. But sometimes, he is just so…. So…. Argh! 'Stop it Gwen! You shouldn't have second thoughts. Sometimes, I wonder why I said 'yes' to his proposal'

She paused for a minute. She can't be having doubts. To stop herself from further thinking anything bad, she quickly headed towards Juliet's house. There, she noticed that although some are taking pictures (pretty normal for tourists to do, actually) there are also those who are writing something in a paper and are crying (well not all of them, but yes, most are). She was just about to approach a woman, similar to her age mind you, who had just stuck a letter in the wall below Juliet's balcony, when the woman just hysterically cried something in Italian but she really couldn't understand her words. She just stayed where she stood and didn't say a word. She put a hand in her chest and looked and watched as the woman cried very loudly while exiting Juliet's house.

She watched in sympathy as the figure of the crying woman walked out of there. She huffed a little and then sat down on a nearby bench and began writing all her frustrations in her notebook. Though she didn't notice this, but gradually the people in the area had gone, and all that's left was her and a beautiful woman with a basket on her hips. As if on cue, she looked up and saw that there's nobody left but her and the woman in front who, by now, is taking the letters that was put on the wall. Curious, Gwen followed her closely and discreetly. It led to her to an office just at the back of a family restaurant. She knocked a couple of times and then cleared her throat. The woman that she followed, along with three more, stopped momentarily from whatever they were doing and looked at her in mild surprise, she suddenly felt a bit awkward and conscious.

"Um... si può parlare inglese?"(Um... Do you speak English?)

"Ah, grazie dio (thank God)… "The woman stood up and motioned at the basket "Take this basket and… come si dice?" seeing Gwen's confused face; she stammered "Dig in."

Gwen walked forward and titled her head, more confused. "Dig in?"

The woman blinked once and then asked "You _are_ the translator from the employment office?"

Gwen frown a little, still confused. "U-um… No... I-"

"I've been waiting for two weeks." The woman slightly smiled, as if pleading to Gwen.

"I'm so sorry." Gwen smiled apologetically, the woman nodded; she then took this as a sign to continue, so embarrassed. "My name is Gwen and I just… I followed you here, because I saw you put the letters into a basket and I… uhh… yeah... I got curious… and I wanted to know why…."

"Why?"

The woman asked and then she noticed the notebook Gwen was holding in her hand. Something clicked in her brain, and almost instantly, she then realized what's going on.

"Ah… You are a writer, si?"

Gwen was about say she wasn't one, but then stopped herself. She wants to be a writer, she really do, it's what she said to Gwaine in New York in the first place. She nodded to the woman in front of her.

"Yeah… yes I am. I am a writer."

"lei è uno scrittore e un dubbio non americano*" (She's a writer and an American no doubt)

"capisco*"(I see)

"non c'è da meravigliarsi*"(No wonder)

"Come," the woman motioned for Gwen to follow her by the window. "I'll show you."

They both looked down at the window, Gwen noticed that the women who are walking at the street were either crying or sobbing. Those people were a lot like the women she saw at Juliet's house earlier that day. Not looking at Gwen, the woman continued talking.

"They come from all over the world every day."

"But taking their letters? Isn't that like taking coins from a wishing well."

The woman smiled as anticipating that response from Gwen. She shrugged and then said, "How else can we give them answers?" Gwen looked over at the other women at the table, who were currently writing. Seeing the realization on Gwen's face, she just continued to smile.

"Oh my God, you write… all of them back." she stared at the woman in front of her in amazement.

"Si"

"You're all… Juliet." She can't help but smile at what she had just discovered.

The woman shook her head slightly. "Her secretaries" the woman said as they both walked back to the table and woman made introductions.

"Donatella has been married 51 years to the same man. She handles husband problems"

A woman in her 70's chuckled slightly. "Men are like wine, they take a long time to mature."

All of them laughed a little at what Donatella had just said.

The woman then motioned her hand to another one of her companions, a middle-aged woman with her hair in a messy bun.

"Sofia, she's a nurse. She deals with illness and loss."

The woman in question grinned at the both of them.

"And Maria," the woman sighed for dramatic effect.

"Why do you always sigh whenever you say my name?"

The woman ignored Maria's question and then turned her head at Gwen.

"She has 12 children, 29 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren."

Gwen was smiling before looking at Maria in surprise. She really didn't expect that. Maria just shook her head as she took a letter from her basket and then began writing a response.

"She writes whatever she likes."

"And you?"

Sofia answered for her. "Morgana answers the ones you could barely read." She then took out a letter, read it for a moment and then passed it to the two of them. Gwen tried to read the letter but it was smudged and the words are barely readable.

"Yeah, the lovers' quarrels, the breakups, the really tangled hearts."

Morgana shook her head slightly and then gently took the letter from Gwen's hands. She sucked up a bit of air and then clicked her tongue.

"Someone has to do it."

They simultaneously heard a woman shouting, this automatically made everyone stop at what they were doing. Morgana looked at her and asked if she could stay for dinner.

"It's my mother. Would you like to stay for dinner Gwen?"

**0-0-0-0**

Vivienne ranted a bit to her helper as she walks through a door while holding a large white bowl. As she arrived at the table, she put it down and ranted out on her daughter. Morgana tried but failed to calm her down.

"Mamma, this is not an insult."

"non un insulto* (not an insult) I made a beautiful dish, big enough for the whole town," she then looked at Gwen who was getting more and more embarrassed. "And she says no."

"I would love to… I do… but I really have to go…"

Morgana shrugged her shoulders in agreement. Vivienne sighed and then raised a brow.

"This is the problem of the americani, always running."

"Please, Mamma…"

Gwen just nodded while Morgana argued for her mother to stop her from saying anything offensive. Gwen bit her lip a little as she watched on the sidelines to the scene in front of her. Even though both mother and daughter are debating, you could plainly see that the two of them cared and loved each other very dearly. She couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of envy for Morgana.

"I have to meet my fiancé."

Gwen said, a bit loud hoping for the two to stop. She doesn't want the two to have a rift between the pair because of her. It worked, both mother and daughter looked at her in surprise but then again so does everyone else. Everyone then congratulated her, Morgana's mother was first. But after she congratulated Gwen, she quickly entered the kitchen and then gave Gwen a few desserts which she took from Vivienne, thanking her, saying goodbye to everyone and then took off.

"At least, take some dessert for you and your fiancé."

"Grazie... buona serata, ciao"(Thanks, have a great evening, bye)

"Ciao"

**0-0-0-0**

Gwen entered her hotel room and was not surprised to see her fiancé inside first.

"Ah… "

Both kissed each other's lips for greeting.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey… you know, 120 kilometers each way and I still beat you?"

Gwen just shook her head a bit while giggling a little. Lance sighed mentally in relief, so his worries are unfounded after all; no one has stolen his Gwen from him.

"So, how was Verona without me? Half-Empty? Completely Empty?"

Lance asked her as soon as she sat on their bed. Gwen smiled, her excitement for what she had just discovered, bubbling inside her.

"Half-empty" she paused for a moment before continuing "I just met the secretaries of Juliet."

Lance looked at her in confusion. 'Juliet? Have I heard that right?'

"Juliet? You mean like, Juliet Capulet, Romeo's lover?"

Gwen nodded, she feels so excited. "Yeah; there are these women, who calls themselves Secretaries of Juliet, and they write letters as Juliet to those people back and–"

Lance smelled the inside of the room. Something smells good, and sugar-y. He sniffed some more before finally tracing where the sweet sugary smell came from, and funnily enough, it's from a paper bag.

He glanced at it and then asked, "What's in the bag?"

Gwen blinked and smiled, a little forceful, and then shrugged nonchalantly.

"I-I don't know. So, as I was saying, they write to those people who post their letters to the wall of Juliet's courtyard back with solutions and advices. They retrieve them in a basket" she emphasized on the word 'world' by spreading her arms wide open.

Lance took the paper bag and then opened it, absentmindedly nodding to his fiancé; she just ignored that and kept on talking.

"A basket, Lance" he took out the pastry inside the bag and then took a bite.

"And they send back a reply as Juliet to the letters with address of course. It's amazing really, it's just... amazing." Gwen had a dazed expression, she's just that amazed by what she discovered.

"Mmm-hmmm,"

"You know, this is their passion. They never get tired of writing to those people back. They are truly amazing."

"Mmm –Mmm"

"And they do this every day. They've been doing this for years and-"

"This… is incredible! This is great!"

Gwen giggled and then just shook her head a little. Lance got near her and then asked her to take a bite on the bread she did so but only a tiny bit.

"Come on Gwen, give it a good bite."

She does so and the taste is heavenly, Vivienne sure knows how her craft.

**0-0-0-0**

Morgana got out of the kitchen with two tea cups in her hands. She handed Gwen a cup which the latter took with appreciation.

"Your Lance is most certainly passionate."

She sat down near Gwen and the two women watched as Lancelot was being taught by Vivienne on how to cook some of her dishes.

"Yeah, I know."

Morgana noticed her new friend's reply to be somewhat forced. She blinked and then looked at Gwen and then her fiancé, who is asking a lot of questions to her mother about cooking to which the older woman answered with the same vigor. She noticed the expression in Gwen's face, those are the very expressions that most women who come by the Juliet's courtyard had almost every day. She mentally shook her head, it's none of her business but she can't help but feel sympathetic to Gwen. Even though she barely knew her, she felt like a bit close to her, and she didn't know why. Maybe it's because of Gwen's sweet personality, that's probably it.

"But, um, he seems to think that he's Italian since we've got here,"

Gwen looked down, her hands playing with the table cloth and leaned forward. She glanced over her fiancé who by then is now slicing a few tomatoes. Morgana also leaned and followed her line of vision and shook her head a little, smiling a bit.

"And, although imitation is the highest form of flattery, his imitations are not really good."

Lance walked up to them and bent down a little. Vivienne blinked and shook her head as she look over her new apprentice.

"That woman is simply amazing. I mean, she's incredible."

Both women leaned back to give the newcomer some space. Morgana smiled a bit as she listened to the man's description of her mother.

"She's incredible. I think I'm in love with her. Absolutely"

She took a glance at Gwen. The younger woman deserves someone so much better. Even though the man's kind and sincere, she can tell that the relationship is not going smoothly. At least on Gwen's case, poor woman and such a shame too; she stood up and walked over to her mother.

"Oh, you're in love with her?"

Lance nodded enthusiastically, not aware of the pain that flashed in her eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came.

"Yeah, yeah"

"Really?"

Gwen forced a smile, and just looked at him. Lance blinked and felt a bit embarrassed and guilty for letting his fiancé hanging.

"Okay, just say no."

Gwen protested a bit but Lance stood his ground, he's a bit aware that his Gwen is not happy. He needed this, but he needs Gwen's permission. If she said no, even though he'll miss this opportunity, he's fine with it. He most certainly cool with it, it's not as if he's already knowing his hands out mentally. Of course he doesn't.

"Just say no, and I won't do it, really." he took both her hands and held it just like the day he had proposed. Gwen felt a twinge of nostalgia as he held her."I mean, I'm dying to do it, but I won't if you say no."

"Okay what?"

"Vivienne offered to teach me some secrets today"

"I mean now? The whole day?"

"Yeah... But if you don't want me to, it's cool, it's fine with me... really it is."

After a few more talking, Gwen sighed and gave him her permission in the end. The man in question jumped in joy and kissed her in giddiness. She just gave him a weak smile. Morgana, seeing the whole ordeal, asked if she would come with her to write down a few letters at the office. Gwen smiled and took her offer.

**0-0-0-0**

The two women are currently walking towards the mail post with Morgana holding a basket; they are just talking about anything and everything that comes to mind.

"So, how long have you been engaged with Lance?"

Morgana asked as she deposited letter after letter from the basket.

"About a year"

"Wow. Then can I ask why you aren't wearing an engagement ring?"

"W-well, that's me. I insisted, I mean, he was busy with work and all. So I just thought it unnecessary."

Gwen just shrugged nervously as Morgana shook her head and deposited the last of the letters in the basket.

"Still, a girl should have a ring."

"Do you have a boyfriend Morgana?"

"Si, he works as an assistant professor at the nearby university. I'll let the two of you meet sometime. But he's not Italian, just saying as a heads up. He's Irish, he moved here about a few years back. He was a regular at the restaurant and it just clicked."

"Really? What's his name?"

"Merlin, he's so sweet mi amore. But enough about me, let's get going si?"

The two then took off at Juliet's courtyard.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.. woe is me.

**A/N:** Hi guys! As promised, here is the new chapter and this one is full of Arwen. :3

* * *

Morgana and Gwen are silently taking off the letters that are posted on the wall of Juliet's courtyard. Just as Gwen took off the last posted letter, a rock tumbled off of the wall. Both women are surprised to what had happened. Out of curiosity, both women took a peak at the hole where the stone was before. They were surprised to see a letter inside. Gwen took it out.

"What's that?"

Morgana leaned over, curious at what's in Gwen's hand. It was an old letter.

**0-0-0-0**

_'I didn't go to him Juliet, I didn't go to Gaius.'_

Gwen paused, looking at everyone in the room for a moment before continuing.

_'His eyes were full of trust, I promised I'd meet him and run away together because my parents don't approve. But, instead, I left him waiting for me below our tree – waiting and wondering where I was. I'm in Verona now. I return to London in the morning and I am so afraid. Please Juliet, tell what I should do. My heart is breaking and I have no one else to turn to. Love, Alice.'_

"So… that letter has been there… for almost fifty years now, am I correct?"

Sofia asked in mild disbelief as she was slowly walked around them, circling them. Gwen shrugged her shoulders.

"I think… she came back to her one true love," Donatella trailed off as she sat down on her chair. Everyone looked at her with mild interest.

"And they had 10 children and still make passionate love every night." Maria finished Donatella's train of thought while Sofia looked at her with a blank expression. Gwen laughed softly at what Maria had just said and Sofia shook her head in disbelief and sighed tiredly.

"Except she got bald and fat and she had to do all the work." Sofia sarcastically said as she got to her chair. Morgana looked on, grinning a little at the interaction of the women in room.

"Sofia"

Morgana, Donatella and Maria simultaneous called out the young woman's name with a bit disdain. The woman in question just shrugged and started writing.

"And maybe… she stayed in London and married a duke and lived happily ever after, just like me"

Donatella said with a small smile on her face as she remembered her husband.

"Except you married an accountant, Donatella, not a duke"

"Nobody's perfect Sofia"

Sofia raised a brow and the two women exchanged looks. Sensing the impending fight between the two, Maria quickly spoke up and changed the topic.

"And I bet when she's making love to that duke," Maria trailed off.

"Yeah?"

"She imagines her first love, Gaius."

Sofia smiled a little at to what Maria had just said as she continued writing; Donatella had a soft smile in her face, she remembered her own husband again. Maria smiled at Gwen as she too, like Sofia, started writing.

Gwen looked at Morgana with conviction; the latter already knows what the former has to say.

"Morgana, I… have to write back."

Morgana and her colleagues shared a look, both Maria and Donatella nodded and Sofia grinned a little. She then took one of the papers they used for writing their letters and walked to where Gwen is and she gave the piece of paper to the younger woman.

"Then answer her."

The two women shared a smile.

**0-0-0-0**

Gwen wrote to Alice until only she and Morgana are the ones left at the office. They both locked up the office and parted ways, promising each other to meet again in the morning.

"I think I've found a great friend." Gwen said to herself as she walked back to her hotel. She opened the door to her and Lance's room and found him already there, sitting in an arm chair while reading an Italian cooking magazine.

"Hey,"

She called out to him as she locked up the door and walked towards him. Lance noticed his fiancé and set aside his magazine.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

"No it's okay, no worries"

"How was your day? Good?"

"It was…."

He hugged her warmly and kissed each other welcome.

"It was so good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah"

"Good, I'm glad"

"How was Vivienne?"

"It was good! She was such an amazing woman and she taught me a lot of her recipes. She cooks with her instinct and without recipes"

"I'm glad you had fun"

"Oh! Sorry! You first" he guided her to sit down and sat beside her. He poured red wine on two glasses and gave her one. She took the glass and gave him a small 'thank you'.

"I… I wrote today, to a letter from fifty years ago."

Lance nodded at her to go on and she continued.

"It feels so good to write again, you know?"

Lance thought for a moment, thinking whether or not he should say what he wants to say to her. In the end, he did.

"You know… you should go with them tomorrow and write more."

She looked at him in surprise, somehow, his guts are clenching at what he's about to say. He swallowed down the lump that's forming on his throat silently, he doesn't know why but he felt that he's making the biggest mistake of his life. He's only going to ask her if he could go to the wine auction in Livorno that signor Morrini invited him to go. If the restaurant's a success, he can provide for Gwen and give her a happy and stable life. There's nothing wrong to it…. right?

"Lance, is there something wrong? You seem a bit, down."

He doesn't want her to worry. He loves her very much. Yes, it was his dream to open up his own restaurant and that dream is now turning into reality. It's been his dream for years, why was it so difficult now? He knows that Gwen is very faithful to him, he's very lucky to have a girl like her to love him. He's aware that he sometimes put his restaurant first and Gwen second. But, it's so hard to choose from the two things that are very important to him. He just hopes that he wasn't making a big mistake.

"Gwen, signor Morrini asked me to go with him to a wine auction in Livorno."

"Livorno?"

He really hopes that… he's not making a mistake.

"There's this super-exclusive auction that's taking place in Livorno. I…. I really want to go Gwen. But, I'm asking for your permission if you'd let me go there."

Gwen blinked and they were silent for a few moments before she broke the tense atmosphere.

"W-when's the auction then?"

"Tomorrow"

"Okay, you should go"

"Gwen?"

"It's a great chance, and I don't want to hold you back."

"Gwen…. I love you" he hugged her tightly in his arms; she hugged him in return and smiling half-heartedly while doing so. "I love you so much. I'm so lucky to have you Gwen."

**0-0-0-0**

"I'll be back soon okay, honey?"

Lance smiled as he gently caressed her left cheek, kissing her softly for a goodbye.

"Yeah, be careful"

He got in the car and looked at her one last time before droving off. In his rear-view mirror, he can see that his Gwen is waiving at him goodbye.

'Am I really doing the right thing?'

**0-0-0-0**

Night came and Gwen was at the balcony of her hotel room while looking at the people below her. She heaved a deep sigh before going to sleep.

**0-0-0-0**

"Ladies, hear this one, it says: 'Dear Juliet, is there anything worse than a man?'"

Sofia read the letter out loud for everyone to hear, they all laughed while writing. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. It was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes in a white casual suit.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt,"

The young man cautiously entered the office and walked closer to the five women. He took off his sunglasses and put them inside his coat.

"But are you the Secretaries of Juliet?"

There was a chorus of 'Si' and on Gwen's case, 'Yes'.

"That's great! May I ask which one of you wrote this letter?"

He then took out a letter from his coat and held it up for all of them to see.

"To my grandmother, Alice Smith?"

Gwen glowed and smiled widely, she rose from her seat. Morgana looked on but she couldn't help but feel that something's about to come up. She just doesn't know if it was for good or bad for her new friend.

"I wrote that. And I can't believe that it found you."

"Yes. We Brits tend to stay in our family homes."

"Yeah, this is amazing. It's less than a week since I mailed it."

Gwen still glowed in happiness. She still couldn't believe that Alice got her reply!

Unnoticed by the women inside the room, except Morgana and she narrowed her eyes, at their surprise visitor, said visitor's jaw almost immediately tightened and his eyes narrowed. He sent Gwen a glare and she didn't notice. He briskly walked his way towards her.

"It was a very thoughtful letter.

He put an arm on her shoulders and they walked towards the window.

"Now, what" he shook the letter in front of her making Gwen frown at him. Now that he's up close, he can see that she's a natural beauty. She had a simple hairstyle, very natural. Her skin is… 'Wait. You have to focus Arthur. Focus! The she-devil wrote the damn letter!'

"Were you thinking!?"

Gwen's jaw dropped by the sudden change of events, at first he was amiable and then he's shouting at her. What the hell is going on? Morgana was about to stood up from her seat and defend her new friend when Gwen did the unthinkable. She got back at the idiota (idiot).

"I was thinking that she deserved an answer" Gwen scoffed at him as she crossed her arms, she's mildly put off. And that's saying something.

"Yes, fifty years ago!"

"I'm _so_ sorry. I didn't know that love has an expiration date!"

The two are unaware of their audience in the background. Morgana rested her chin in her hand and watched the two in amusement. It may not be obvious, but one thing is clear, there is definitely an instant attraction between the two of them. As oblivious as the two are of it; Donatella's thoughts are on the same page as Morgana. Those two, reminds her of the time she met her husband for the very first time. Sofia shook her head at the immaturity that unfolds in front of her. Maria was silently chuckling.

"True love? Are you _joking_? Could you imagine what would've happen if she hadn't seen sense?"

Arthur crossed his arms and glared hard at the insufferable, nosy woman in front of him, he's getting more and more annoyed by the minute. 'Is she stupid!? Can't she see the logic in this!?'

"Yeah," Gwen scoffed and put both her hands on her hips "You wouldn't be here and that would be an upside" she said sarcastically.

"What are you doing here anyway? What, are you some lonely American girl who has to live vicariously through others?"

"I'm not lonely, I'm **engaged**"

'Poor bloke, my condolences to him, whoever he is'

"Hn. My condolences to the groom"

Arthur then stormed off the office, Gwen, surprised, followed him. After they've gone, the remaining occupants in the room discussed what happened.

"So," Morgana started "What do you think?"

"I think this is turning out interesting"

"Si, I agree"

"Hn"

**0-0-0-0**

"Excuse me!"

Arthur just kept on walking, ignoring the woman following him. Gwen continued while trying to catch up to him.

"So you flew all the way from London to lecture me, is that it?"

Arthur took a deep breath and stopped. He turned a little to face the annoying woman.

"No, I came because I couldn't let my grandmother come here alone"

Gwen's face brightens up and a wide smile came its way on her lips. Arthur couldn't help but think she's quite pretty.

"Alice's here? Why?"

Those three words alone reminded Arthur why he's angry in the first place.

"I think you could figure that out on your own"

"Oh my god, she's here to find her Gaius! That's awesome!"

Arthur again, stopped walking and this time, he turned around and fully faced Gwen with a scowl on his face.

"Awesome?"

Gwen nodded a little, still smiling. He walked his way towards her with a sarcastic smile on his face.

"And if Gaius doesn't want to see her, has forgotten her, is gravely ill or dead, let's day, just for _fun_, then what?"

The smile on Gwen's face was quickly wiped out. She just stood there, not answering.

"Thought so"

He turned around and walked away.

"I want to meet her, I want to meet Alice"

For the third time, he once again turned around very irritated. He said sarcastically,

"And I want to play for Manchester United, but I'm shit at football"

"You don't think she wants to meet me"

"I honestly think she has no interest meeting a woman that can manage to jam, 'Oh my God' and 'awesome' into the same sentence."

'Finally I'm getting away from this nosy woman' he then walked away as fast as he could but Gwen still managed to catch up to him. Following the rude man led her once again to Juliet's courtyard. She watched him approached an old lady looking up at Juliet's wall.

"Gran, they're closing up. We should go"

"Okay, Artie"

"Gran"

From what she could tell, the two are very close. She slowly walked up to them a bit. Arthur turned and was surprised and annoyed that the insufferably nosy American followed him.

"Excuse me, Alice? Hi! Hi, my name is Gwen." She smiled at the lady and which the older woman smiled back in return; also, Gwen completely ignored Alice's scowling rude grandson, who is currently giving her a death glare. "And I, wrote you the letter"

Alice was surprised and her smiled widens. She turns to her grandson who innocently smiled at her, she then looked again to Gwen. Arthur continued to glare at her.

"Letter? From Juliet?"

Gwen nodded, glancing at the glairing Arthur for a bit. She wants to laugh at him.

"Goodness! Thank you. Thank you, but however did you find us?"

"Well your grandson found me, actually"

Alice looked over her grandson incredulously. Said grandson just shrugged his shoulders. 'Damn that woman for putting me in this situation!'

"You did?"

"W-well I–"

"Yes, it's very sweet of him, and he thought that you might like to meet me"

Gwen is really enjoying this. She really, _really_ wants to laugh right now.

"How uncharacteristically thoughtful of you, dear"

"Well, considering the circumstances, it seems a little churlish not to meet the woman responsible for this voyage of lunacy."

"Okay"

"Arthur doesn't approve, which makes it all the more fun"

The two of them laughed while Arthur rubbed his temple with his thumb.

"We were just going for a glass of wine. Would you like to join us?"

"Absolutely not!"

But Gwen accepted anyway, she even suggested Vivienne's restaurant.

* * *

**A/N:** Another cliffhanger... I'm so ebil... xDD well, till next time! stay tuned!


	5. Extra Chapter

**Disclaimer:**I~ don't own~ Merlin~

**A/N:**Just taking a little detour from the main plot.

* * *

Anastasia Braginsky or Anya, as she preferred, rarely showed emotions to others. As a matter of fact, she was dubbed Ice Queen during her first week on her job, and it was stuck since. Many avoided her at all cost, except Gwen who she befriended almost immediately when she first came in.

So it really surprised her when she found out that Gwaine, her boss (At first, she didn't believed it because the man was always acting immature), likes her. At first she was flattered (but she didn't say it out-loud, else his head got bigger), but then she had a sinking feeling that he just wants to get in her pants. She was a foreigner, Russian, a European, quite exotic, as much as it pains her to admit it. And so she ignored him, but he was very persistent. Like for instance, there's that one time when she turned him down a week ago when he asked to eat lunch together. She refused because she already promised Gwen to eat lunch together. But it turns out that he and Gwen we're childhood friends and, as cliché and annoying as it is, he managed to eat lunch with them. Much to her annoyance, he declared that he'll be eating lunch with them every day.

She do not hate the man, she's just annoyed at him all the time. She would've admired his dedication and perseverance had it been focused on another and not her, but as fate would have it, it's her. His pursuit of her became a legend in their work place, much to her embarrassment and irritation. He is very handsome, no questions asked. She had to admit that she was physically attracted to him, at first. To be honest, she doesn't know why he's the one that drove her over the edge of anger and irritation. No other man can rile her up, like he can; no man can evoke so many emotions from her like he can. She doesn't like it, not one bit. She felt queasy, she felt comfortable and uncomfortable around him at the same time.

Don't get her wrong, she had relationships before but never had she experienced something like this. She's afraid but right now, she's furious.

Because today he had gone far enough, he **just** had to deliver a box with two err…. Unmentionables in it, along with a suggestive message card;

She stormed off towards her _glupyy bossa's _(stupid boss) office.

"что глупые извращенной человек! (_That stupid perverted man!_)"

She muttered under her breath as she tried her hardest to just carry the box and not to burn it right then and there. She heard a familiar voice called out to her, she turned her head and saw Gwen. She lazily grinned at her while still juggling the box in her hands.

"What are you doing Anya?"

She twitched a brow and frowned as she looked down on the box, looking at it like it was the most disgusting thing in the world.

"To give that no-good editor of ours a piece of my mind," she said as her ire pile up. "And to sue him for sexual harassment!"

They talked some more before she showed her what Gwaine gave to her. She looked away as Gwen looked over at the contents of the box. She also gave the younger woman the note that was delivered along with it.

Gwen read the contents of the note aloud. She read it a couple more times to just to be sure she read it right. She gave the older woman a sympathetic smile.

Anya gave up and she thought, '_Let's just get this over with_'

She told her friend, in resignation, that she'd agree to go on a date with him. What she didn't expect was that Gwaine was actually listening to them the entire time and when he heard that she accepted, well, he was over the moon.

It made her heart swell when she saw his face lit up, she smiled a little.

'_Может быть, это не плохая идея, может быть, это как раз может работать  
(Maybe it's not a bad idea, maybe, this just might work)'_


End file.
